Surroundings
by IWasJustAnotherGuy
Summary: After entering his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry catches a glimpse of a girl that will steal all of his attention. Wanting to have a secret of his own, he decides to keep this information to himself. At least, until everyone notices.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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><p><strong>Surroundings<strong>

**Chapter 1**

He had been stealing glances at her for a while now. Nothing creepy, mind you, just the casual glances a teenage boy would steal from a teenage girl. No drooling or stalker-like staring, just... glances. Besides, being in the Great Hall meant that he could do it discretely enough. No one would notice him staring. And if they did, they wouldn't know who he was looking at

He'd sit on the opposite corner to the one she did and he'd use his peripheral vision to see her outline. Sometimes, she'd be too far away, the glasses never made things easier for a guy, but there were certain "strategies" he could use to get a better view. The most successful one would be to have one of his friends, Ron (he was clueless to his surroundings when there was food in front of him), sit opposite him, but just a little bit to the side so he could see her over their shoulders. It was a flawless plan. And yet, the others had noticed something.

They had suspicions he fancied someone but they were not sure. Neville pointed out that he seemed to smile more often. Luna said that, apparently, the Nargles had left him alone (for the moment, she always added). Ginny stayed out of the whole business the moment she realized she wasn't the victim of his affections. He liked the girl, but he saw her as much as a little sister as Ron did. Hell, even Dean and Seamus seemed to notice he had eyes for a "bird" as they called her. They did nothing beyond teasing. And it was harmless teasing, it wasn't like he planned on acting on his feelings. He was merely attracted to a beautiful classmate. But then, Hermione happened. Well, to be completely honest, you could blame Katie instead of Hermione but he saw Katie as more of a catalyst and not the problem itself. It all started after a late Quidditch practice...

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><p>As they arrived to the common room, Katie commented on his recent tendency for more dangerous maneuvers on the air. She asked if he was trying to show off. He dismissed the claim with a laugh. But Hermione, who was waiting for them, chose that moment to merge into the conversation.<p>

"I'm just sayin' those moves were pretty out of your regular comfort zone, Harry. And that's saying somethin'!" Katie laughed.

"Nothing to worry about, Katie. It's not like I'm trying to impress someone." It seemed like a common friendly response. He hoped the issue would be dropped then and there. It wasn't.

"You know," Hermione said in an inquisitive tone as she lifted herself from the closest couch "you've been pretty misty eyed lately... something we should know about? Any potential Mrs. Potter out there?" she smiled as she said that. Sadly, Harry's expression must have been similar to that of Malfoy's in front of a hippogriff because her smile dropped.

"Sweet Merlin, there actually is! Harry you have to tell me! How am I only hearing about this now?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the floor. As Ron entered through the portrait hole, Katie decided it would be best to head up to her dorm room and give some privacy to the trio. Harry was glad, he didn't need an audience for what was to come. He only needed to remain calm. Everything would be fine.

"Did you know that your best friend is risking his life to impress a girl?" Hermione asked to the surprised ginger.

"Well yeah, but his life has been at risk 24/7 for the past years so I don't see any problem with him trying to get a good snog out of it." Ron smirked. Harry didn't know whether to feel proud that Ron was paying more attention to his surroundings or bad for not sharing his secret with his best friend. Ron didn't seemed to mind so he would just feel proud for the moment.

"That's disgusting, Ronald." Hermione said with a hint of annoyance in her voice "You shouldn't try to impress someone, Harry. If they can't see how amazing you are without silly tricks then you don't need them in your life." she ended flatly.

"Excuse me, but a Wronski Feint is not a silly trick!" Ron argued before Harry could open his mouth "It's a pretty difficult maneuver and you should be proud that Harry can pull it of so that we may win the Quidditch Cup this year! Besides, she's not even in Gryffindor. He has to catch her attention somehow" Ron finished lamely. Harry was gobsmacked. Perhaps he was selling Ron's attention span really short. At seeing his friend expression, Ron argued that he had heard Dean, Seamus and Neville talk about it.

"Don't worry, mate. I was a bit worried you may have started to fancy me after you asked me to sit in front of you so often at meals and just... stared. I put two and two together and I realized you like some 'Claw or perhaps a 'Puff. I mean... I've seen Susan, if you catch my drift" he winked at Harry.

"Aaarrgh! Ronald Bilius Weasley!" Harry worried the whole castle would be awakened before Hermione was done with Ron "When are you get it through your head?! Stop being a perverted oaf! This isn't just about Harry liking a girl! It's about him not trusting us! First it was the Prince's book and now..." after hearing those words, Harry's head shot up. He couldn't believe it. He was worried his cover was blown but this was just another stupid argument about his potions book! He could hear Hermione in the background, but a silent turnmoil of thoughts plagued his mind.

He could just tell them who he fancied, it would definitely shut both of them up. But then again, it would lead to further line of questioning and he didn't need that right now. Was he really in the mood to fight with Hermione about his potions book, though? AGAIN? Mind you, Ron seemed to be on his side on this one. They could have a chance to end those arguments for good. For the snippets Harry could hear, Ron seemed to think Hermione was exaggerating. Harry just wanted to go out on a couple of dates, what's wrong with that? It had nothing to do with the book.

And it really didn't. Harry opened his mouth to speak "Okay..."

"FINE!" Hermione interrupted "Do whatever you want! But when something bad happens don't blame it on me! And ask yourself Ronald, if Harry could so easily lie about whatever girl caught his fancy, what stops him from keeping more secrets from us?" with that, she turned to Harry "Harry, please. You need us, now more than ever. Just... Just think about this, okay?" And with that she left for the girl's dorm rooms. Harry could swear he heard her sniff a couple of times. He turned to face a silent Ron.

"You... You wouldn't do that would you, mate? Keep secrets from us?" asked Ron, almost pleadingly "I know that through our friendship I may not have always been the best out of the three of us but you do know that I'm here for you. The both of you." And Harry knew. He knew that no matter what, Ron would have his back as much as Hermione would. They may fall or they may stumble, but they would always back him up. "Hermione is just a little stressed, you know. I believe..."

Whatever Ron was about to say was cut by the words that came out of Harry's mouth.

"She's blonde." Harry realized that was the second sentence he had spoken since he entered the Gryffindor Tower. "She has blue eyes too. I saw a glimpse of her on the train a month back. You guys were at the prefect's meeting and I was looking for a compartment. Listen, Ron, I know it's not much but please understand. I don't even know if I like her, she's just attractive." Harry said looking down at the stone floor. He realized he had never spoken to the girl. Where was all that "Gryffindor Bravery" whenever he passed her on the halls? Or whenever he saw her at meals or near the lake?

A small pat on the back made him look up "Don't worry, mate. Well take this one at a time. Who knows? Maybe I could set you two up" Ron said as he led the two of them to the sixth year boy's dorm room. Harry could do nothing but laugh at that statement. "What?!" Ron answered with mocked hurt "Anyways, is she..." he said as he made strange signs with his hands "...you know?" he finished with a small grin.

"Well, she does have a nice arse..." was all Harry said before he realized Dean, Seamus and Neville were pretty much awake and wanted to hear all about this nice arse he and Ron seemed to be talking about.

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><p>A week rolled by and it all seemed to come back to reality. It was a Monday morning when Harry found himself going down for to the Entrance Hall, the rest of the guys would still be at their beds but he fashioned a little bit of fresh air on his face before breakfast: it wouldn't hurt. He noticed Hermione when he entered the Great Hall a couple of minutes later and decided to approach her. From afar, Harry could see that Hermione looked a little bit put out now that Harry and the rest of the sixth year Gryffindor boys seemed to have grown closer and he and Ron spent less of their free time with her. She had friends, obviously, but they weren't her best friends like he and Ron were.<p>

"I know we haven't talked like we used to in a while, and it is probably my fault for being a prat, but you do know you are my best friend right?" Harry said as he sat across Hermione, leaving plenty of space to observe the rest of the house tables "That fight the other night, let's just forget about it okay?"

She kept looking at her food but Harry could see a little smile through the madness that her hair was. He decided to take a leap of faith. His hand crossed the table and grabbed hers. She looked at his eyes with a faint blush on her cheeks "Besides, who is gonna help me with my Transfiguration homework?" The blush was gone and she gave a smack to the hand holding hers. "Idiot" was all she could say before the both of them chuckled softly. A pleasant silence grew between the two of them as Hermione finished her breakfast and Harry started his. She decided to accompany him by doing a little bit of reading on her Runes book. Everything was going fine until the victim of his stolen glances decided to enter the Great Hall and have herself some breakfast.

He, obviously, stared as she moved from the door to her designated table. He could have swore he saw her smile as if she had noticed his stare but then, it was probably his teenage stupidity speaking and trying to coerce him into speaking to her already. He turned his mind back to his breakfast before anyone noticed. Hogwarts' students seemed to have a late start this morning, thought Harry. He was already done and Ron and Neville, usually the first at the table, were just entering the hall. Each of them sat beside Harry and said their greetings while grumbling something about cold water and Seamus waking them up. Harry and Hermione decided to wait for them as they had Charms together that morning.

Five minutes went by and Harry was bored out of his mind. Hermione tried to make small talk with him about Runes as they waited but he wasn't in the mood for it, something which seemed to irritate her. Last year, she had tried to get their interest on the subject but Ron and him were years behind on the theory and did not understand a thing beyond the names of the runes and some of their uses. Harry appreciated the thought, especially after how shaky things had been between them, but having a one-way conversation was not on his plans right now. Perhaps he should be more thoughtful. Yeah, they were best friends but they had just made up after a fight. Either way, Hermione gave up. She went back to reading about Aard signs, runes with the power of thrusting telekinetically if Harry was not mistaken. Ron and Neville were concentrated on their respective dishes so he chose to spy on an innocent young woman. Before long, he realized his mistake. Hermione may have given up on talking to him, but not on Ron or Neville.

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><p>Hermione looked up to Ron to politely ask him to swallow his meal as silent as possible because she was trying to understand the power of the Quen rune when she saw Harry staring deeply into her. And he was smiling. Now, Hermione had never had any romantic interest on one of her boys... Okay, she did. Third and fourth year respectively. But she had outgrown that, they were just her best friends. Her boys. And one said boy was looking at her very deeply. As if only the two of them were the only beings on Earth. And she couldn't help it. She felt all the blood go to her head. Perhaps that's why Harry had been so distant lately. She gathered all of her Gryffindor courage, looked into those emerald eyes and reached for Harry's hand. She never thought she'd do something like this and even less with Harry Potter, her best friend. But as her fingers touched the back of his hand, his eyes moved by a millimeter to fix on hers. And that's when it clicked.<p>

What had Ron said? 'He kept staring at him' or something like that, right? Ron thought Harry had even started to fancy him! Oh, what a fool she had been! How stupid of her to even dare to hope. It's not like she wanted to anyway, but perhaps a little bit of broom cupboard exploring with someone whom she trusted her life to wouldn't have been so bad. With a sigh she moved her back away from his and into her lap. But not before looking back to where Harry was looking at. Maybe if he promised to giver that stupid potions book she could help set him up with Susan Bones. That's who Ron had said, wasn't she?

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><p>As Hermione turned her head to verify where her best friend's gaze had been just a moment ago, as Harry knew she would, his train of thought led to a single word: "Shit."<p>

"Harry, why are you staring at Daphne Greengrass?" said an irritated Hermione as she turned her gaze back to him.

The next few seconds would have been worthy of a picture. Harry covered his face with both of his hands as he tried to make himself invisible. Ron started gagging on his fifth sausage; Neville spilled pumpkin juice all over his robes and Hermione's Runes book. Ginny, who was coming to sit with them, did a one-eighty and left instantly. Surprisingly, Hermione kept her composure and folded her arms as Seamus and Dean both sat beside hear and said at the same time: "Nice arse indeed."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A/N: I greatly appreciate all of your reviews. This is my first story so I gladly accept any input you have to offer. Thanks to the folks at DLP for their brutal honesty. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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><p>"In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have said that," said Dean as he rubbed his shoulder. A bruise would probably appear on it in a couple of hours. Hermione, even with her small hands, packed a nasty punch.<p>

"No, you really shouldn't! At least, not in front of me. I don't really care how you talk about girls but, please, don't do it like that when I'm sitting beside you," Hermione ended with a hint of defeat. Seamus kept laughing but was silenced by one of Hermione's nasty glares.

"You know… I think you're all missing the point here!" Ron had controlled himself and had not gone on a speech about the low worth of the Slytherins. He had spoken with a calm tone. A tone Harry did not like at all. The calm before the storm.

The rest of the group, minus a Hermione who kept stabbing her sandwich with a fork, seemed to find it amusing though. For the past week, there hadn't been a typical outburst from Ron. It had all been a little bit too quiet for the boys.

"Oh! And what is the point, Ron?" asked Seamus with a hint of mischief in his voice as he whirled the cup of pumpkin juice on his hand.

Harry did not like the way this conversation seemed to be going and decided to put a stop to it. He stood up and started: "Well… Flitwick won't let us in if we arrive late! Let's all get going th—"

Harry's voice died out as a strong hand on his shoulder sat him down again. The force of the impact shook the plates on the table. "Oh, no! We are going to discuss this, Harry!" said Ron defiantly with his brow furrowed.

Harry gulped. He could swear he saw Daphne Greengrass smiling at him out of the corner of his eyes. The thought made him go weak in the knees and the protest he had for Ron died on his lips. Ron took it as a chance to continue speaking.

"As you all know, Greengrass is a snake!" Ron started, looking everyone in the eyes. In all honesty, it reminded Harry of a drill sergeant he had seen once on the telly without the Dursleys noticing he was there. A collective gasp came out of the boys as if a life-long mystery had been unveiled. It was fair to say that even when Ron had been noticing more things in his surroundings, the sarcasm when undetected. Perhaps he was just in too deep to care about it.

"So what?" asked an annoyed Hermione. The glare she threw in Ron's direction could have made a troll hesitate. She seemed to have put her thoughts on place and decided to join the conversation.

She really needed to vent some of her frustration, thought Harry, and Ron appeared to be the perfect target. "So what?! So what?! Hermione, you're the brightest witch of our age! Can't you see it?" yelled Ron flapping his arms around.

Harry had to give Hermione some credit, the compliment did make her blush but she stood her ground. She was ready to confront the force that was Ron Weasley's argument.

"No. I cannot. So explain yourself, Ron."

A sigh could be heard come out of Neville's mouth. They boy had reconsidered his desire for one of the typical arguments between Harry Potter's best friends. He had never really wanted one, he was just as bored as anyone can be so early in the morning.

'Here we go' thought Harry as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

Surprisingly, it was not the typical "All the Slytherins are evil traitors that hate us!" argument that came out of Ron's mouth.

"Well they're supposed to be cunning, aren't they?" that had almost sounded like a compliment. If you asked Ron the day after he would probably deny it, but he had almost complimented a Slytherin. "But as we all know they are all stupid," he said in a matter-of-fact way closing his eyes with a pleasant expression on his face.

So much for house unity, thought Harry as he blinked while looking at his ginger friend. 'It's not like I like them much either, though. Greengrass is the exception. And even then, I just like how she looks. For all intents and purposes she could be a Gryffindor-loathing Slytherin.'

"Ronald! Don't—" started Hermione with a hand on her hips, before being interrupted by a grinning Ron. "Let me finish," he said in a hiss. "Oh, she thought we would be very stupid. She thought we wouldn't notice. But we did!" a triumphant tone could be distinguished on Ron's voice.

"Uh… We did?" asked a confused Dean. He didn't considered himself as smart as Hermione, or a majority of the Ravenclaw students, but he had taken Arithmacy and still could not see how things added up from Ron's perspective.

"Of course! Harry's been given a love potion!" It seemed pretty obvious to Ron that that could be the only answer to the puzzle of why Harry Potter liked Daphne Greengrass.

"No. I haven't," Harry replied instantly. Not angry or upset, just instantly. He replied so quickly that not even Seamus or Hermione could laugh at Ron's accusation. Their reasons would have been awfully distinct, but they would have led to the same action.

"That's the potion talking, mate! Don't worry, I'm sure Slughorn can fix you up with some antidote for it!" Ron said with a wave of his hand. He looked deeply into Harry's eyes, as if searching for some sort of clue.

"What happened to all that 'He just wants a few dates, Hermione' 'He just wants to snog someone', huh Ron?" asked Hermione, her hands white as snow for the sheer intensity from which she seemed to hold on to her eating utensils. A hint of sadness could be heard in those words.

"Besides, didn't Harry said he liked her since he saw her at the train?" asked Neville. He quickly covered his mouth with spoonful of porridge after seeing Ron's disapproving glare.

"Oh please, don't take her side too!" sighed Ron. As he was about to respond to the question, Harry started talking.

"Ron. I really don't like the way this conversation seems to be going so I'm just gonna leave for class. Finish your breakfast and we'll talk about this after Charms, when you've cooled yourself down. You're my best friend so do me a favor and, please, contemplate the possibility that not all Slytherins are like Malfoy or that we don't even know her. Even better, contemplate the idea that perhaps I just want to get her inside a broom cupboard and snog the daylights out of her. Who knows, I may even go talk to her after dinner!"

Harry stood up and walked out of the Great Hall, not looking back.

He was so concentrated on possible arguments to use and explain to his friend that he actually fancied Daphne that he didn't notice a female figure staring at him from the Slytherin table.

Harry Potter could be very dim sometimes. He had been thinking of ways to get the girl's attention when in that same instant, the girl was trying to get his.

A sigh escaped out of the girl's lips as she watched the retreating form of Harry Potter slip through the doors.

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><p>For a couple of minutes, the silence that reigned the little corner of the table in which the young Gryffindors sat was deafening. They all appeared to be at a loss for words. Hermione eyes followed Harry before steadying on the Slytherin table. Neville sighed and kept playing with his food, as if the argument had stolen his will to eat. On the other hand, Dean and Seamus were not preoccupied. They knew everything would be alright by the time they reach their dorm room so they kept enjoying their breakfast in silence.<p>

"Not hungry." Those were the words that would come out of Ronald Weasley's mouth before he stood up and left in a hurry.

Ron walked out of the hall, fist clenched and looking at the ground. He may have overreacted a little. But it was within reason!

This whole 'I fancy a Slytherin!' business seemed a bit fishy. There had to be some sort of ploy at hand! She was a Slytherin, for Merlin's sake! Always trying to make Gryffindors look bad. Always plotting to make them loose House Points. He'd just have to make the rest of them see it.

Yeah, the Greengrass snake was, for lack of a better word, alluring and Harry could actually just like the way she looked but he knew it wasn't like that. It all seemed too… sudden. Why couldn't they see it? It was that simple!

However, he had to consider the worst-case scenario. His best friend could really just like this Greengrass girl and he'd have to accept it. It didn't mean he wouldn't be weary or that he'd give his blessing the moment they held hands. She'd have to earn his trust. He'd keep 'constant vigilance' on the girl! He had made a promise to always have Harry's back and he intended on keeping it. He wouldn't let Harry down again.

Hell, he was already pairing them up too! Perhaps Harry wasn't the only one that needed to snog a girl. The fact that Harry's love life, or lack thereof, was an argument between them said a lot about how stressed out they'd all been lately. The looming threat of a Wizarding War could push everyone over the edge.

A sudden thought made him stop and grin like a fool. 'Who knows, maybe Greengrass has a friend.' The grin disappeared after Ron reminded himself that all her friends would probably be snakes. He hated himself for even having a ghost of the idea on his mind. 'Why couldn't Harry be normal and just pick a 'Puff?'

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><p>"Still the coward, huh?" said Tracey Davies, a slender and fair-skinned girl with short black hair that barely came down to her shoulders. She didn't say it with a hint of malice but with one of desperation.<p>

"Don't call him that," Daphne retorted in a whisper that sounded like a threat.

"I'm talking about you!" argued Tracey as she accusingly pointed her fork to her.

"I'm sorry? Me?! I keep smiling at him!" Daphne snapped indignantly. Several heads turned to stare at her after the outburst but she chose to simply ignore them for the time being.

"Daphne, I don't give a crap who you fancy. We'll get out of this place in 2 years and it won't matter what house someone was in. So I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be truthful with me." Said Blaise Zabini, a dark skinned sixth year Slytherin boy, very slowly. "Did you even open your mouth to speak and try to get his attention?"

Daphne could not answer.

"Exactly," was all Blaise could say to the blonde. His demeanor had not changed at all as he had spoken. He kept a calculating look, as if evaluating multiple choices and their possible outcomes, at all times.

"You know, there are times when I don't care about this whole stealing glances thing you and Potter have, it's even been kind of funny in a way, but then I remember… you two don't even have a thing!" said Tracey after seeing her best friend's failed attempts at approaching The Boy Who Lived. The way her left eye twitched was an indication that the whole situation irritated her.

"Why don't you just get it over with and drag him to some empty classroom?" sighed Tracey.

"It's not like I haven't thought about it," Tracey raised an eyebrow at the comment, her eyes wide open. "Just to talk! Don't think I'd do anything else," said Daphne in a high pitched tone, "but he is a boy AND a Gryffindor! He should be the one doing the talking! Besides, I'm not really interested in him. He's average at best. If he acted with a little bit more confidence, who knows? I may even give him a shot. I'm sure it would totally infuriate Draco. But he keeps cowering and stealing glances when he thinks I don't see him. If my smiles don´t encourage him enough, I don't know what will. So, until he actually walks up to me, I'm not going to grab him and kiss him all over in an unused classroom," she finished with her regular voice. 'Maybe I should, though. That'd definitely get his attention,' she smirked at thought.

"Well, you've hear the stories. The Philosopher's Stone, the rumors about the Chamber of Secrets, the whole thing with the Dementors on third year and even the Triwizard Tournament. If I were Potter, I'd be pretty paranoid myself. He may even think you slipped him a love potion for some sort of sick plot or something!" chuckled Blaise.

"Oh please! As If I needed to," mocked Daphne. 'I must have sounded as arrogant as Draco for the glare Tracey sent my way, but I've seen the way other people look at me. Besides, all those stupid guys I've had to decline lately are getting on my nerves,' she thought as she considered using hexes to keep the boys away whenever they tried to get close enough to talk.

It's not like Daphne didn't appreciate the attention. She was just tired of all the innuendos and flirting some of the boys actually said to her. But Potter… Potter was different.

"Granger's been staring at us for the past couple of minutes, you know? And she is a smart one. I bet she already put two and two together," said Blaise, breaking the silence that had formed between them and bringing Daphne out of her thoughts.

"And what is 'two and two', dear Blaise?" asked Tracey, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Well, it's obvious! Our little Daphne here is infatuated with Gryffindor's Golden Boy, the one Harry Potter!" he responded with a smirk.

"I bet Granger's just jealous of all this attention Potter seems to be spending on you. You've heard what they say about the two of them. I honestly feel sorry for Weasley, always being a third wheel and all that," said Tracey.

"What makes you think Potter isn't the odd one out?" snapped Daphne with a furrowed brow.

"Oh? Feisty, aren't we?" laughed Blaise as he noticed Daphne's tone.

"I'm not infatuated. He just… intrigues me," Daphne finished lamely thinking she should punch each of her friends for laughing at the situation.

As Tracey and Blaise finished their respective breakfasts, she closed her eyes and began thinking of the first time she'd notice him 'stealing glances' at her.

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><p>It had been a nice week… until Friday, that is. Their teachers didn't seem to care about their lives outside of the classroom apparently.<p>

A couple of weeks had passed since the start of term and they were all already bombarded with homework. Professor Snape's essay about the effects that prolonged exposure to Dementors could have in a human's mind and Professor Babbling's project with the Quen sign, a protective rune, on an inanimate object where, respectively, taking most out of Tracey and Daphne's Friday night.

"You done with Transfiguration? Can I see your notes?" asked Tracey as she fiddle the edges of the parchment in front of her. They'd been in the same spot in the library for three hours. She was getting restless. Daphne did not even glanced up when she handed her the notes on the Avis spell. But Tracey did. And she saw the outline of someone in the closest stand that moved a little bit too fast when she looked up. She may be imagining things, three straight hours doing homework in the library could do that to a girl, but then again, she was sitting next to Daphne. Daphne Greengrass. Daphne-I'm-Too-Nice-To-Be-Mean-To-Those-That-Show-Interest-In-me Greengrass. Oh, Tracey knew her best friend. She knew Daphne genuinely was a nice person. Beyond all the heart-break she inflicted on teenage boys, there was a really nice girl on a sea of idiots. But the two of them where Slytherin, so she thought Daphne only kept the poor blokes around in case she ever needed something out of them. A bit harsh, but love makes us do silly things. Infatuation even more.

No. That outline was definitely one of Daphne's many admirers and not an innocent bystander. "I think there's another one coming," whispered Tracey.

"Another what?" asked Daphne without even looking up. She was too enthralled by her homework.

After seeing the outline not approaching and simple standing there, Tracey shook her head. "Oh, never mind. I thought I saw another admirer of yours but I think I was just ima—" whatever the brunette was about to say was cut as she saw the face of the person near the stand. And he most definitely was looking at the table the two Slytherin girls were sharing. It was only for a minute but Tracey saw the scar. Now, she'd like to think Potter hadn't become one of those stalker-like boys. It wasn't his style.

Apparently he hadn't. He checked out a book from the stands and left the room entirely. 'He must have come for a book, seen Daphne and stared at her for a bit,' thought Tracey. But as he retreated, the brunette didn't have to look back to be sure he kept throwing glances at her best friend.

"You were just what?" asked Daphne as she looked up to stare at her friend.

Tracey wasn't annoyed for being stuck in the library anymore. She actually wore a tight-lipped smile on her face.

"Oi! Why are you smiling like that?" asked Daphne. Tracey's smile had peaked her interest.

"Finally found yourself a boy to look at, huh?" Tracey snorted as Daphne spoke and looked around, searching for an imaginary boy.

"Oh, no no no. This is about you! You'd never guess who just passed us by and could not stop staring at you!" Daphne groaned and closed her eyes in resignation.

"Is it that Smith guy from Hufflepuff again?" she asked, as she put her forehead on the tables, "I already told him that I don't like him at all. And I don't say that often. If he keeps... ," her muffled ramblings were interrupted by two words and the laughter that escaped from Tracey's voice.

"It's Potter."

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><p>Daphne had to be honest with herself, she had never really paid The Boy Who Lived enough attention at school. After the incident at the library though, things changed. She remembered Potter had occasionally left a door opened for her to enter a classroom or he had passed her at the halls one time or another during the years. And yet, she had never really noticed him entirely. Besides all the stories the Daily Prophet printed about him, Daphne didn't know a thing about the boy beyond the fabled tale of how he got the lightning bolt-like scar.<p>

His apparent attraction intrigued her. Why now and not before? She didn't expect to understand the mind of the average teenage wizard so she'd have to let it slide for now. Although Potter wasn't average in any sense of the word, she reminded herself.

He wasn't that bad of a looker, so that was a plus. But did she really need to alienate herself from her classmates by giving him a chance?

'What am I thinking?! He just stared at me! He is not asking me out on a date or anything. He must have seen me at the train or something. He'll forget about me in a week,' Daphne assured herself.

She was wrong.

After that night, Daphne started noticing him. She realized that what Tracey said was true, he did seem to glance at her more than the usual. Daphne was almost sure he had seen him try to approach her a couple of times but nothing had come out of it. Perhaps it was her imagination.

On one occasion, a week back, her eyes had fixed on his as she smiled. They were in the Great Hall and there would be plenty of opportunity for Potter to make his move. 'That ought to give him a hint. If he wants to try and talk, I won't bite. Although I obviously won't be the one walking up to him. I don't need Draco and his goons rambling about loyalty. Draco would be the one doing the talking though. Greg and Vincent would just stand there as the mindless drones they were.' Daphne thought. But it seemed that Harry Potter was not all 'Gryffindor Bravado', he had not come up to her then or after lunch.

'Perhaps he didn't notice. I can again tomorrow,' and so, the so called "thing" that Tracey had referred to earlier had started.

At first, Daphne told herself she only did it out of amusement at the antics Potter got up to and not out of interest of the boy. These days, however, she wasn't so sure. His lack of confidence irritated her. Why couldn't he just walk up to her and say something along the lines of: 'Hi. I'm Harry Potter'? Or whatever he had said to Chang. Of course, she wouldn't be like that tart. She had self-respect. Crying in the middle of a date? Really? Even worse, going out on a date while you are mourning the death of an ex and said date being with the only witness at the scene? No. She'd make Potter work for it. If he ever had the guts!

"We should go. Defense starts in a couple of minutes," the words brought Daphne out of the mess that were her thoughts. Blaise was right, they only had enough to make it in time. Professor Snape always arrived 5 minutes earlier. They left the Great Hall right behind the sixth year Gryffindors and Daphne was sure that Granger kept turning around just to stare at her.

'Maybe Tracey was right. Maybe she is actually jealous,' thought Daphne as their paths led them to different corners of the castle. Somehow, the thought made her smile.

* * *

><p>'Okay, Ron. Here is how it is—" started Harry, ready for the imminent confrontation.<p>

"I know how it is," interrupted Ron in a low voice, as if ashamed of his actions.

He had waited until the rest of the class left to have this talk. Hermione wanted to be there but Seamus, Neville and Dean told her to not worry and go to her Runes class. They could handle it. Still not entirely convinced but with a tight schedule, she left. The Runes classroom was a fair distance away from the Charms one and she had to make it there on time.

The four boys stood in a deserted hallway on the first floor. They hadn't move more than ten paces beyond their assigned Charms classroom and had been silent when they stopped to have this talk.

"Wooo! Calm down, mate! Let Harry finish a sentence, will you?" exclaimed Seamus as he patted Ron's back. Harry appreciated the gesture but he could handle this on his own. Ron was his best friend, they could talk things through.

"Uh... thank you, Seamus," said Harry, "look Ron, I didn't really pay attention to class because of this. And in no way am I mad, but you're going to get me Hermione's notes for this, okay?" he laughed and that seemed to ease the tension a bit. Ron smiled and was about to talk when Harry cut him off.

"But here's what I've thought: I like Daphne Greengrass, or at least what I can see..." were the rehearsed words that came out of Harry Potter's mouth. He heard Dean whisper to Neville: "'It is all about that arse, I'm telling you."

Harry continued with his argument pretending that Daphne Greengrass arse was not a point he had considered "and I plan on getting to know her better. It's taking me sometime to realize it but I don't care that she's a Slytherin, at least, until I get to really know her. She is an enigma. Now, this is not the trashy dialogue you'd hear from one of Lavender's novels but the truth. Think about it, has she ever been on Malfoy's clique? Has she been there when they've tried to make us miserable?" Ron's thoughtful expression made Harry proceed. "She hasn't mate. She's always been at the edges of the picture, not the center. We pass her on the halls and we say nothing to her or Davies or Zabini or even Nott. Something that doesn't happen with Malfoy and Parkinson. I don't doubt Greengrass is in Salazar's House but remember that Peter Pettigrew was a member of House Gryffindor."

Harry didn't expect to sound as harsh as he had, but the silence that reigned the hallway made him think he may have gone too far. He had explained to the rest of the boys that Sirius Black had been his godfather and that it was Peter who had betrayed his parents. He felt it needed to be said so that he could speak freely about Sirius now that they seemed to hang around more often. As the silence grew longer, Harry began to fiddle with his robes.

"Harry, I know," began Ron. His stance was that of a calm man. A man that planned on standing his ground.

"Like I said to you before, I'm just watching your back. This whole business with Greengrass looks like a potential set up, but I can contemplate the idea that it isn't," disbelief was palpable on Harry's face, "I can see you just liking Greengrass and her… assets."

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or hug Ron. He opted to remain silent until he had finished speaking his thoughts.

"But it doesn't mean that I'll completely agree with it. If you decide to talk to her and something even comes out of it, I'll be civil. I'll not be my common self. But I'll be watching your back. I can't say that I'll trust her. I can't say that I won't be weary of her or her friends. What I can say is that, as your best friend, it is my duty to make sure you don't pick the wrong girl," Ron finished, starring into Harry's eyes

Harry was really touched by Ron's words. Even when the Slytherin hate had been noticeable, the morning outburst had been because he cared about Harry's well-being. He seemed so… mature. Of course, you could obviously hear that Ron was not okay with the idea. But the fact that he'd seemed to accept it showed Harry how much his friend had grown since he had first met him.

"I… wow, Ron. Thank you," was all Harry could say before Seamus stood between the two friends interrupted him.

"You make it sound as if Harry is going to marry her tomorrow, Ron! But now, as you ladies have cleared out your drama, there are more pressing matters."

"What do you mean?" asked a concerned Neville as he moved closer. Had they forgotten to make an essay for Snape? Was Peeves around, ready to pull a prank on them?

"It's obvious, Neville! Now we set the love birds up!" exclaimed Seamus as he led the way to their next destination, leaving the boys behind.

A couple of firsties passed them as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower. They seemed to be so interest on their own conversation that Harry didn't mind speaking his thoughts out loud.

"Set me up? Please, I can do this! I'll just walk up to her and… you know, say hi?" to say that Harry's tone had change from the beginning to the end of that sentence was an understatement.

"Like you've done for the past two weeks?"

"Well… I… You know…. I've been busy."

"No, you haven't. That's why we need a plan. Well you need a plan, but we'll help!

Now, obviously, we can't use Ron. We don't want any more drama in the table. That draws our numbers short, but it's still doable," Harry thought that Seamus was putting a lot of thought to this 'plan'.

The paintings around them seemed to have noticed some sort of plot was brewing and wanted to be on the loop. They followed them as far much as they could. Luckily, it was nothing more than five steps.

"I'll take care of Davies, enthrall her with my typical charm," a snort came out of Ron's mouth but Seamus chose to ignore it. "Dean, you'll take care of Zabini."

"Are you implying something?" said Dean as he stopped in the middle of the stairs.

"Well, the two of you have a lot in common," said Seamus confidently.

"I'm a muggleborn Gryffindor and he is a pure-blooded Slytherin. What do we have in common?"

"Ahh what I meant was that…" Seamus kept moving his right hand in circles as if it would make an argument magically appear out of thin air. Who knows? Maybe it could.

"Oh, I know what you mean. And that's why I'm just messing with you. Whatever, I'll keep him busy while Harry makes his move," Seamus expression of someone that looked constipated disappeared with the sigh relief that came out of his mouth.

"What am I gonna do?" asked Neville, wanting to be involved. Gone, although not entirely, was the shy Gryffindor to leave place for an older more mature Longbottom that his parents would be proud of. Even if it was just to get Harry into a broom cupboard with some girl.

"Neville! You'll be our look out! Ron can help too! You have to find the perfect moment for the whole plan to unfold, got it?" wass all Seamus could say.

And like that, it all seemed to be set on stone. And Harry did not like that. He'd have to find a way to talk to the Slytherin blonde before any of this could happen. His friends seemed too focused on this plan, as if they were trying to live through Harry. The thought of being manipulated by someone so close to him made him shudder.

* * *

><p>That night, at dinner, it was the moment everything began.<p>

After the catastrophe that their breakfast had been, the quietness of their dinner made Harry and his friends feel glad. It wasn't like there was an awkward silence at their spot on the table. There seemed to be too much laughs, McGonagall watched them with a thin-lip expression.

Harry glanced freely at Daphne and was even encouraged by his friends. That is to say, there were some exceptions.

Ron simply ignored the situation for the moment. He was acting as his normal self but perhaps that'd change when Harry actually did something regarding the Slytherin blonde.

Ginny was little hurt but she seemed to be enjoying the evening so Harry thought it was not that big of a deal.

Hermione was a different matter. She kept trying to derail the subject from Daphne to other topics whenever it came up. She'd try to talk about Arithmacy with Dean or about Charms with the rest. It looked as if she wasn't okay with the whole thing. 'Perhaps her train of thought was similar to that of Ron's?' Harry puzzled.

Could Hermione think that Harry was under some kind of charm? Or perhaps she'd try to blame it on his potions book again? Harry didn't really thought it was the latter. But for the way his friend had been acting since they had breakfast, Harry couldn't be too sure about anything regarding her. Hermione must have been just worried about him choosing a fitting girl. For a second he'd thought she'd been trying to set him up with Ginny or even Luna. But the way she reacted whenever his name and Daphne's were said together was… off.

Harry couldn't put more thought into it because at that moment Neville stealthy poked his ribs. Harry turned and saw that Neville was discretely pointing to the Slytherin table with his eyebrows. A table from which a certain blonde was getting up from. All this thinking about Hermione made him forget that there was a plan in motion. Harry felt dread as he expected for Neville to signal the others. But Neville did nothing more than smile at him and get back to his food.

Harry would have to find a way to pay Neville back. 'Perhaps a Herbology book?'

Harry said he was no longer hungry and that he's see them all at the Common Room. He stood up and walked out of the Great Hall as quickly as he could. No one at the tables seemed to pay much attention to the retreating forms of Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass.

There was a plan in motion. Harry's plan.

* * *

><p>As Harry walked with a spring on his step, Hermione's sigh was softer than a whisper. Her thoughts were a bundle of small moments and conversations she'd had over the years with her best friend.<p>

Said boy had been ogling Greengrass from across the Hall. All throughout dinner.

Something hot and horrid burned in her chest. She didn't feel that hungry anymore.

Her fingers twitched: all she would need to do is go after him; grab him from the shoulders; pull him into a soul-searing kiss; run her fingers through those messy locks of his and then she'd-

"Uh, Hermione?"

She opened her eyes and closed her mouth, Ginny was looking at her, her brow furrowed.

"You okay? You've been staring off into space for the last couple of minutes."

"Of course I'm fine!" snapped the bushy haired girl in a louder tone than what she had expected.

* * *

><p>"Daphne!" yelled a voice just loud enough to not be heard beyond the Entrance Hall but she didn't feel like turning around. If they wanted to talk to her, they'd try to keep up with her as she made her way to the dungeons.<p>

"Hey, uuhh… Greengrass!" Daphne Greengrass heard the voice call her name from just behind her back as she was about to make for the dungeons.

It was a voice Daphne had not realized she'd been expecting to hear. She turned around and the deep blue of her eyes met the emerald green on his in the fire lit Entrance Hall. It was a quiet encounter even when most of Hogwarts population found itself on the adjacent room.

A soft autumn wind blew her hair into her face but she quickly tucked it behind her ears. She stared at him a couple of seconds with a blank expression before responding.

"Yes, Potter?"

* * *

><p>And Harry was at a loss for words. He knew she was stunning but being this close to her made him question Fleur's attractiveness.<p>

Eyes that told mysterious adventures. Long lashes that seemed to curl up a bit. Eyebrows that where just a little bit too thick. A scar in the shape of Europe on the left side of her neck. A beauty mark on her right cheek. Full, red lips and a small nose. All of this accompanied by the ash grey of her hair. She was far from perfect. She was beautiful.

Harry stood speechless for a fraction of a second before answering.

"I… I just wanted to say hi," said Harry, furious with himself for how stupid that sentence had been. He hoped that his feelings had not reflected on his face.

"Hello." answered Daphne in a neutral tone.

"Also… well, it's our sixth year and we've never really talked to each other in all of that time. So, I wondered if it wouldn't bother you if I accompanied you every now an then when I see you at the library. We could study, do some homework and maybe chat for a bit. You know, get to know each other."

'Nothing too forward, just two friends hanging at the library. Smooth, Potter,' thought Harry with a smug smile.

A couple of seconds had passed and Daphne had not answered.

Her silence made him want to crumble. He had heard her speak once and now he didn't want her to stop. He wanted to be drowned by her words.

She was taking her time to answer. As if the question had stunned her. Harry hoped he had said the right thing, he didn't know what he'd do if she said no. The silence seemed to go on forever. He decided he'd just say he was sorry for bothering her and get it all over with.

"I—"

"Y—"

"I'm sorry, Daphne. Please, go ahead," replied Harry after they both tried to speak, motioning for her to continue. He felt his hands trembling. He balled them into fists before casually moving them behind his back to avoid her noticing how nervous he actually was.

"As I was saying; I think that I'd like that, Potter," said Daphne as a small smile made its way to her lips. "You can sit with me if you see me at the library."

"I will. And you can call me Harry, Daphne," Harry couldn't suppress the grin on his face.

"We'll see about that, Potter," she turned around and left for the dungeons.

* * *

><p>A couple of minutes would pass and Harry would be found sitting on the cold stone floor of the Entrance Hall looking down and smiling like a fool.<p>

"Harry!"

Harry looked up to find himself face to face with Luna Lovegood. The fifth year Ravenclaw seem surprised at what she was seeing. Had she seen her talking with Daphne just a few moments ago? Did his smile made him look that stupid?

"Yes, Luna?" Asked Harry wanting to know what seemed to have made Luna yell his name.

"Your Nargle infestation hasn't come back! Did you make yourself a protective necklace like mine?!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I am glad you are liking the story. I'm going back to college in a couple of days so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update. That does not mean the story won't be updated. It just means the wait will be longer than a week. To compensate this, chapters will be getting bigger. I appreciate all of your reviews! And don't worry, there won't be angst in this story. Or, at least, not too much beyond what's expected from teenagers.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>Harry found himself carrying an armload of books that kept getting bigger and bigger as he followed Hermione through the library. His current situation wasn't new to him, he often offered to help his friend whenever he felt the book load was too much for her. Sometimes it even was too much for him. However, for the last 3 days he had been doing it daily and so, his balance was getting better. He even claimed he had a little bit of a Divination gift and could sense incoming obstacles.<p>

There wasn't much for him to trip with though, the library was deserted.

Besides Madam Prince and the two sixth year Gryffindors, few people seemed to be around. The stands were full with unread books and there were barely any tables used. A pleasant silence reigned the corner in which Hermione was leading Harry to. A secluded table with a nice view towards the door, a place he had picked.

Harry let the books fall with care in a neat stack and, in mock, whipped his forehead for Hermione to see. Harry laughed at her giggle. He positioned himself on his usual spot, a spot with a nice view of the entrance, as he flipped open a book and whispered to his contents.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

* * *

><p>Being honest with herself, Hermione hadn't been her usual self lately. She often stared at Harry with a lost look and a lopsided smile. Dreams of the endless possibilities running through her head. The only reason Harry didn't notice was because he was so concentrated on his new found interest in Ancient Runes to see her staring at him.<p>

He had cornered her a couple of days before, grabbing and pulling her from their group of friends. Hermione could barely stand, a sudden feeling running through her body. She shivered at his touch. But he had only asked about Ancient Runes and the possibility of accompanying Hermione if she ever wanted to get some Runes reading. She had given him a hug after agreeing, knowing he'd noticed the femininity of her body, blushing at her own forwardness. A couple of startled students fled the hallway at the sound of Harry Potter screaming. They did not know it was because of a sudden attack from the muggleborn witch.

She had lied to herself before, saying she didn't felt anything for the boy. He was her best friend, of course she would feel attracted to him on time or another. It wasn't that big of a deal. It was all platonic. But she had been wrong, she could now see it clear as day.

They had been friends for a long time, a friendship built through years of camaraderie and inside jokes and faith and extraordinary situations. They were honest with each other. They shared experiences on their early life, common roots. They shared an understanding in a world where no one understands the way the other person does. They balanced each other out. Things were fine, weren't they?

Why should she rush it? Harry had not even mentioned Greengrass in a long time. Perhaps it was over. Perhaps the timing was on Hermione's side this time. But, what if it wasn't? Could she live contented with glances and fleeting touches forever? Could she live thinking that it could have gone that way? Live with the ghost of what could have been?

Hermione's hand twitched as she considered her course of action. She took the choice and set a plan in motion that could change things forever. She'd hold his hand. If not a confession in itself, she could give his friend a little hint of what her feelings where. Her fingers moved in the direction of Harry's.

Hermione felt a thrill of something that was beyond excitement, more like fear. Now that their hands were so near, she wondered whether she wanted to follow through with this after all. They were in opposite corners of the small table but she knew the two of them would stare into each other's eyes. She'd smile. The thought gave her to will to continue.

Could the two of them get lost in their own little corner of the castle? Could Ron do their Prefect rounds all by himself? He could even bring the rest of the boys. Hermione wouldn't care if they fooled around with Peeves and trashed the Great Hall if it meant her fantasies came true.

With self-control, her hand tried to reach for Harry's.

Harry's head snapped up from his reading material, an estrange twinkle in his eyes. In a heartbeat, Hermione changed the direction her hand was going so it would have seemed she was reaching for a piece of parchment.

How could he have noticed? Hermione blushed furiously at the gaze her friend was giving her before looking away. Her head turned to her left as if looking for a new book among the nearest stand when, on the corner of her eyes, she saw a figure with shoulder length dark brown hair entering the room.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, he's been– " Tracey's high pitched voice was cut short with one of Madame Prince's well placed glares. "Sorry about that."<p>

Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis made their way to the nearest table. There were few students on the silent library but Daphne only had eyes for one. A sixth year Gryffindor with crazy charcoal black hair and emerald green eyes. For a moment she even forgot that Tracey was speaking quite fast into her ear.

"As I was saying," Tracey started in a whisper, "he's been here for the last three days!"

At first, Tracey had been reluctant on helping Daphne on whatever she had planned concerning Potter. Yet, her friend knew what buttons to push and she had agreed to help as Daphne hugged her. It was a simple plan after all.

For the last three days, Tracey had been coming to the library for a little bit of "studying." She came in; picked a table with view of the rest; pretended to read a book and waited. It was a tiring process. Until Potter arrived, she'd often loose herself observing the dust particles on the air. And he always did. He would come with Granger and would always be looking around as if in search of something or someone. Tracey could do nothing but smirk at the scenes she admired.

Every one of those days, Potter was enthralled by one of the books picked form a big stack he carried to the table he usually shared with Granger. He would sporadically look up and search around the room. However, he would return to his reading. Disappointed was written all over his face after not finding what he seemed to be looking for. It was during this moments that Tracey would notice Granger's sudden head movements.

If things went according to plan, Daphne would start talking with Potter and perhaps things would pick up from there. No matter how annoyed by her she could be, Tracey felt bad for the muggleborn bookworm. Unaccredited love must be a bitch.

* * *

><p>"Mischief managed," whispered the boy without glancing to his map.<p>

Harry could do nothing to hide the smile that crept all the way to his face. He was looking at Daphne and she was smiling at him. Well, it looked like a smile. Beggars can't be choosers.

A second later, something brought him out of his thoughts. He remembered Hermione was with him. A sudden feeling of shame crept over him. His smile faltered.

Harry had forgotten to tell Hermione why he was so interested on Runes and being in the Library as of late. After Luna had found him on the Entrance Hall that night, he decided he should prepare himself. He'd need to have multiple conversation topics that he could use with a certain Slytherin girl. Through research, asking Lavender what classes the Slytherins as a whole took, he discovered which topics he'd have to shine on. If everything else failed, he could at least talk about a class he did not take and, maybe, impress her.

"Hermione, there's something important I must tell you," were the words heard as Harry's eyes moved from Greengrass face to Hermione's.

"I haven't been completely honest with you for the last couple of days," Harry stuttered as she noticed certain blonde staring at him, "and you need to know the truth."

"Wha… What do you mean Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Well, there's a reason why I asked for your help with Runes."

"Be... Because it peaked your interest, right?"

"Well, of course," Harry's pause was longer than what he expected, "but I… well, I just wanted to get closer to—"

Hermione's slight intake of breathe went unnoticed by Harry. She was looking into his eyes, blushing, as if looking for his soul.

"—Daphne. I heard she takes Runes as well and I wanted to impress her, you know?"

Hermione's mouth opened up, as if she were about to retort, but no sound came out of it. After realizing what she must look like, she closed it. Her fist touched her upper lip with carefulness. She closed her eyes and sighed. All the blood had drained from her face.

"You aren't mad, are you?" asked Harry. "I know I didn't tell you about it. But it was because I did not want to worry you. And I know we are best friends and I know you think that I don't trust you as much as I used to but," he took both of her hands in his, "Hermione, you are my best friend. I will never not trust you. Do you hear me? I will never not trust you."

Hermione's eyes were glue to their locked hands. After a few seconds, she removed them from their joint position, put them on her lap and, without looking up, spoke in a low, calm tone.

"I know that Harry. I know that we're friends," the word burned her throat, "I just…. forget it, just go. You'll tell me about it later," she gave him the brightest smile she could muster, making sure her cheeks covered most of her face.

"Thanks, Hermione! Could you pick up the map for me? It's on the book I was reading. You're the best."

And as Harry Potter reached the table occupied by Daphne Greengrass, he couldn't see there was a bushy-haired girl choking back sobs on an old library table, looking down towards her book, blaming herself for being so blind.

* * *

><p>"Well, I'm gonna go. Good luck, Amata!" a rich laugh came out of Tracey's mouth as she left her vacant place besides Daphne and walked out of the library, not looking back.<p>

Daphne back stepped her focus on Potter to look at the retreating form of her friend.

"I didn't know you had a middle name," came a deep voice from behind Daphne, "should I call you that?"

"It's not my middle name," Daphne motioned for Harry to sit in the chair Tracey had just vacated, "it's from one of The Tales, remember? The Fountain of Fair Fortune?" a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Uhh, the what?" asked Harry shyly as one of his hands moved behind his head. Daphne had been staring at him with a slight smile, but now one of her eyebrows had raised as if not believing what she had just heard.

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard," Daphne told at him. After seeing his lost expression she couldn't help but ask, "How can't you don't know about them? Every little kid hears them before going to bed."

"Ah… bedtime stories, didn't have much of those growing up. Even then, I'm pretty sure Cinderella is better known."

"Cindewhat? Is that even a word?" laughed Daphne, but after seeing the unmoving form of Harry Potter, she continued, "Potter, sit! Are you planning to have our first conversation while looking down at me? Is that some sort of metaphor or are you just planning to catch a glimpse of something?" she ended with a fake outrage before giving him a smile.

"Uhh… yes, sorry about that," after realizing what he had just said, and seeing Daphne's perplexed face, he tried to fix the situation, "no! No! I mean yes, yes I'll sit down."

Harry walked towards the chair, trying to flatten his hair as much as he could without Daphne noticing. He sat and turned to his right, prepared to have his first actual conversation with Daphne Greengrass.

"So, Potter, tell me about this Cinderella. How can you claim it is more famous than a tale from Beedle the Bard and why have I never heard of something like that?" Daphne said as she cocked her head to the side.

"I actually don't know, Daphne. Perhaps it's because you're a pureblood," Harry scratched the side of his head as he spoke.

"I'm sorry?! Are you implying something about my heritage?!" Madam Prince stern look stopped Daphne's rant as she was about to poke Harry in the chest.

"I meant no disrespect," Harry started quickly after realizing his mistake, his hands motioning for Daphne to stop, "I have nothing against purebloods, Ron's a pureblood why would I be friends with one and hate them?"

"Draco's a pureblood," Harry had no compelling argument against that. At least one that did not include Voldemort, so he decided to stay quiet for the moment.

Five seconds would pass before Daphne snorted and laughed.

"Such innocence, Potter! You should have seen the way your whole demeanor changed! Gryffindor's Golden Boy scared of an innocent Slytherin Girl that is not even holding her wand!" Daphne said while controlling herself. However after seeing Harry's awkward expression she continued, "Heavens, Potter. I'm sorry, I was just playing with you. Explain what that cindething is."

The whole reason that Harry's demeanor had changed was not Daphne's accusation. He wasn't the most confident guy regarding woman, but he wasn't a fiasco. No, it was the thought about the prophecy. The whole reason he was famous. The whole reason he was sitting where he was. But he could not let Daphne know any of that. He started his explanation of the Grimm's famous story.

"Well, first of all it's not an 'it.' She's a she. Cinderella. She's a princess. Although the name of the tale IS Cinderella, there's even a movie based on the original story, of course I've never seen it but I know it exists," said Harry as he balanced on his chair.

"Movies are the things muggles do that are like our pictures, right?"

"How do you..." Harry stopped balancing and turned towards Daphne, "anyways, yes. There is one about Cinderella. It's the clichés, you know? Evil step-mother, girl meets the prince and there's a happy ending. All the things that come with a love story. I'm not gonna go into specifics," He stopped. Not sure what else to say but wanting to keep the conversation going, he asked: "But now, tell me who this Beedle person was."

"Well, he was a famous writer. I don't know if he intended for his stories to be considered children's stories but because of their nature they are considered as such. They mostly teach kids moral lesson or how muggles are just misguided and not lesser beings."

_Bet Malfoy didn't get those stories while he grew up_, thought Harry.

"As much as discussing traditional wizarding folklore amuses me Potter, let's talk about something else. Like Quidditch or what you want to do on Friday or…" after realizing what she had just said, she quickly added, "Friday by yourself, of course."

Harry had to laugh at what Daphne had just implied. He had not even seen her words in the light she thought he did. The thought amused Harry though, perhaps she had some of those thoughts herself.

"What's so funny, Potter?" she raise one eyebrow at him.

Harry thanked his luck that Daphne had mentioned Quidditch or he would have been lost. He asked about that while crossing his arms over the table.

"What? Just because I'm a girl does not mean I'm not interested on it," replied Daphne with a wave of her hand.

"And are you?" asked Harry without hiding the excitement in his voice.

"Not really," Daphne noticed Harry's smile falter for a bit before she continued, "I mean, I like flying," the smile came up again, "and I enjoy watching a good game every once in a while. I'm just not really into the whole sports thing," she ended with a shrug.

"Then why did you bring it up?"

"Well, you play. I guessed you liked it," said Daphne giving him a look as if questioning his ability to keep a conversation going.

"I do, I just I don't know it—" whatever Harry was about to say was cut short by Daphne's words.

"That's the point of this, isn't it? Talk to each other, get to know one another? Keep things going…?" Daphne's next words died on her lips. Her eyes look for Harry's as she gave him a small awkward smile.

"Yeah, it is," Harry answered the unasked question. They both stared at each other, not noticing the slight blush on each of their faces or the girl that ran towards the doors as fast as she could.

Harry decided that as pleasant as the silence was, he wanted to know more about Daphne. Without wasting a second more, he continued their conversation.

"Well, I love flying too. But what else do you enjoy doing?" _a simple question that could have us talking for days_, thought Harry.

"Well, I…"

* * *

><p>Perhaps their conversation did not last days, but it did last a couple of hours. Their talk had led the two of them to know more about each other. Daphne had wanted to ask him about all those funny rumors going around about him but she knew it wasn't the time. As much as she liked knowing that Harry enjoyed flying because it made him feel entirely free, she also wanted to know what was in Slytherin's secret chamber.<p>

They didn't ask questions that were too personal either. There was no mention of ex's or the like, just simple facts about the other. Anyways, it's not like Potter was snogging girls left and right. Besides Chang, he had not dated anyone else to Daphne's knowledge. There _was _Granger, but the fact that Potter had ditched the muggleborn witch for her gave Daphne the knowledge there was nothing brewing there. At least from Potter's side of the affair.

The summers, however, brought endless possibilities of muggle love interests for Harry Potter. He had told Daphne that he'd lived with his muggle relatives for all of his life. The thought of Harry Potter fooling around with a different muggle girl every year woke an uneasy feeling on the depths of Daphne's mind.

As the two teens walked towards the Slytherin Common Room, Harry couldn't help but feel happy. Of course, Voldemort wanted to kill him and it scared the living hell out of him. He might die in a couple of years. He might spend the rest of his life training with Professor Dumbledore, Remus, Mad-Eye and the like. He might even live on the run, but walking besides a beautiful girl gave a little bit of hope to the teenage boy.

They reached a zone of the dungeons that Harry considered familiar. He knew it was time for him to leave. Every step he took brought him closer to a possible encounter with Snape he did not want to have. He might claim he had used the Imperius Curse on Daphne and give him detention for the rest of the year. But he could not help but walk besides her. Even her silence made him feel on ease with himself. They reached a corner and, before turning, Daphne stopped. Harry noticed immediately and turned towards her, ready to ask if something was wrong. He opened his mouth when Daphne beat him to the act.

"It was nice talking to you, Potter," she leaned against the wall at that.

"It was nice talking to you too, Greengrass."

"No Daphne?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"No Harry?" asked Harry as she repeated her actions.

Both of them were leaning against the wall but where closer than an arm's length of each other. Harry was taller by about a head, so his head was slightly tilted towards the ground. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, until Harry looked away, blushing.

"I see. Well, I'll see you around, Potter."

"There is no perhaps?" Harry asked at the figure that was straightening her robes.

During their talk, they had discussed the things that annoyed one another. Harry had said how much he hated people that saw him only as "The Chosen One." He was just a regular boy, he'd say. Something Daphne couldn't help but disagree; however, she kept that information to herself. It was during that talk that Daphne said how a certain Hufflepuff annoyed her to no end.

Zacarias Smith, Harry had a strange expression on his face at the mention of the name, often asked Daphne out on dates or 'study sessions' and she was getting tired of saying no to the guy. She told Harry how, just last week, she said answered to one of his advances. Instead of answering with a simple no and walking away, she'd said that perhaps they could do some reading together. After the incident, she had not been cornered by the boy again. It seemed that he did not want to lose the possibility he thought he had. Hope had kept him away. And Daphne was glad for it.

"No, Potter. There is no perhaps this time," she walked past him and did not look back.

Even under the robes, Harry noticed a rhythmical swaying. He was glad Daphne Greengrass did not look back.

* * *

><p>Back on his dorm room, Harry was getting ready for bed. He was thinking of a certain blonde that had took his breathe away.<p>

After making sure Daphne had safely entered her Common Room, he had darted for Gryffindor's one as fast as he could. He was almost caught by Filch and Mrs. Norris, but his Seeker reflexes made him turn towards the other direction just at the last second. It had been an hour after curfew before he was sure he had lost them and could make for his bed. Luckily, he had no other pursuers that night.

After changing into his pajamas, Dudley's hand me downs, he remembered something he had heard earlier that day. He looked around to see if any of the boys were awake. They had, surprisingly, gone to bed early. Even Ron. Something that surprised Harry. Regularly, after their rounds, Hermione would make Ron do some reading on whatever subject he was behind. Had Hermione done her rounds alone?

After his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see that Neville seemed to be fooling around with a levitating cauldron cake. Harry was conflicted. He needed to get Neville's attention without waking Dean or Seamus. Ron was not an issue though, he slept like a log. After much consideration, he got an idea.

"_Accio_ Cauldron Cake," whispered Harry.

Neville's reaction was not the one he expected. The boy quickly pointed his wand in the direction the cake had gone, ready to fire a spell. He realized it had only been Harry, sighed and lowered his wand.

"Nightmares, Harry?" asked Neville in a whisper. Neville knew about night terrors more than the rest of the boys, perhaps even more than Harry himself. That must have been the reason he had been awake.

"Not exactly. I had a doubt and thought that you could answer it," even in the dark, Harry could see Neville's smile. The idea of being needed gave Neville a rush of happiness. Their conversation continued in a whisper.

"Anything you need, Harry."

"You were raised by your grandmother, right?" before giving Neville a second to answer, Harry continued. He did not want to remember Neville the reason such circumstances had to be, "You ever heard of The Fountain of Fortuna Mayor or something?"

"The Fountain of Fair Fortune, you mean?"

Harry nodded in the dark.

"Well it is a wizarding story," said Neville.

"And is there an Amata in that story?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, she is one of the sisters that go with the knight on his quest," after realizing Harry must have been lost, Neville added, "oh yeah, you don't know. Well, there's a muggle knight that is in search of a fountain. Amata is the one that marries him in the end, I believe."

Neville could not see Harry's full smile, but he did hear him speak, "Thank you, Neville. That helped me out a lot."

With that, Harry closed the curtains from his four poster bed and left Neville in the dark, with lots of questions. Mainly, what had Harry done with is cauldron cake. A couple of seconds later, said cake hit him in the face.


End file.
